Different origins: Today many diverse groups make up the Russian population. At the beginning of the 20th century only 40% of the population were Russian speakers. The country at the time of the Tsar was an empire with at least 16 different nationalities (by some estimates as many as 110). Many of these people resented being subjected to the Russian language, customs and rulers, which caused considerable discontent. Some of the nationalities found among the Russian people. Want to know more? Drag the blocks to empty space at the top of the window. These were the main groups of Russian people. There were others that are not listed here. Each group had its own language or dialect, customs, music, folk-tales and dress. They also differed in religion and social systems. Other differences: The principal religion before the Communist revolution was Christianity: the Russian Orthodox Church was the largest. Other religions included Judaism (Jews) and Islam (Muslims). Russian was the official